Festivus For The Rest Of Us

Friday

Jun 27, 2014 at 6:25 PM

The celebration of Festivus begins with the Airing of Grievances.~ Frank Castanza in Seinfeld

Remember that one? The Seinfeld episode where Frank comes up with an alternative holiday to get away from the commercialization of Christmas ? Feats of strength, the Festivus pole and of course, my personal favorite, the airing of grievances. Here in the Riv we've been airing grievances for a while now over the proposed 2015 budget. Fall River Festivus ended last night. The City Council, on a 7-1 vote, passed the 2015 Fiscal Budget. The grievances have all been aired. The lesser of two evils has prevailed. Now we just have to live with the results. Festivus for the rest of us. It's time for the Friday wrap. Budget addition. Mostly.

I broke down and watched the meeting last night. Nothing else to do quite frankly, which is sad. Vacation got canceled. I was in the Riv so I got the TV station that the meetings are broadcast on. Will had texted 15 minutes before the meeting started and seemed to be in good spirits. He was just checking in. It was Thursday after all. He was heading down to the meeting so I figured what the hell, the least I could do was tune in and see what happens. Here is my take.

There was a lot of buzz prior to the meeting. People were saying that the council was not having a Finance Committee meeting and just going straight to full council and that must mean something. It didn't. At the last meeting the council had made a procedural vote to send the budget out of finance and put it before full council, which amounts to pretty much the same thing. There was no Finance Committee because there was nothing on the agenda for fiance to discuss. The budget was before the full council. The thing that made me happy about all that is that normally there is no citizen's input before a full council meeting. You can imagine my extreme disappointment when the council waived the rules and allowed it. This was not a good start. For me anyway.

It went fairly quickly though. That guy from the fire department, not the president but the other guy,he was good. No fair trotting out the priest though. Other than that there wasn't much except the dude from the lunatic fringe rattling on about a ten taxpayer lawsuit that I guess was supposed to be intimidating. I got some exercise rolling my eyes.

The mayor and the city administrator and that crew took to the center table next. The mayor, after some brief opening remarks, turned it over to Cathy Ann. She started by giving a rundown of the carnage that would ensue should a 1/12 budget kick in. This was meant to scare the living crap out of everyone within a 12 mile radius of the Riv. Next she announced that she had met with both councilors Miozza and Mitchell earlier in the day and had also spoken by phone with other members of that esteemed body. She had a list of concessions and the dollar amount in savings that they would represent. She also notified the council that the city now agreed on what the school department number should be and that they were willing to meet that number. At this point you knew it was done. The budget was a go. I found myself yelling at the TV for somebody to please ask the school department crew (they were seated in the audience) if they agreed. I suppose I could have shot Will a text but he might have been the wrong person for that one. Jasiel eventually did ask if the city had run this by the school department. The superintendent eventually got dragged down there and Ray Mitchell got her to say yes. There were some other interesting moment as well.

Pat Casey gave what seemed like a 10 minute fire and brimstone speech. It was approximately 9 minutes and 45 seconds longer than it needed to be. All she really had to say, if she needed to say anything, was that her position on the budget was the same as it's always been. Pat instead felt the need to chastise her colleagues for a whole host of things. Even called them vindictive. As an example of this she said something about almost having to show up at the Inaugural wearing a hospital johnnie. An image nobody was prepared to process. She also pointed out that in her 18 years on the council she has never had a mayor, any mayor, refuse to take her call or meet with her if she requested to do so. The thing that struck me there was the 18 years part. Mull that over for a minute. Probably says more about the voters of Fall River than anything I could come up with. Hey Pat, the reason that no mayor has ever refused to take your call or meet with you is because in those 18 years you have never, not once, said no to anything any mayor has ever asked you to do. They'd be crazy not to talk to you. Just sayin'. Next time you see Pat ask her to explain, with specificity, the budget she just voted on. Although that's probably not really a fair question since the city administrator, the budget's main author, had a hell of a time explaining it herself.

Cathy Ann Viveiros has now completed her first budget cycle as city administrator. It didn't go well. To be fair she did step into the job at a time when we were facing "the most challenging budget" since the beginning of recorded time. One would assume that she was aware of that when she took the job though. By the time the budget process came to a close last evening you would be hard pressed to find an elected official who had confidence in the things she was saying or the numbers she was presenting. She got net school spending wrong. She was even questioning her own pay as you throw projections towards the end. Not good. This is a person who for decades as a candidate for various public offices has touted her own financial and business acumen. This was an inauspicious start.

I wonder what Shawn Cadime is up to these days. Think he missed not being a part of this show ?

Best moment for my money was when Joe "Ice" Camara asked Will "Ice Ice Baby" Flanagan if the mayor intended to have his name printed on the pay as you throw bags.

The State Gaming Commission made it official yesterday and extended the application deadline for this area, Region C, into late March of next year. I'm sure developers are lining up now. What with the November ballot question looming and all. If nothing else I would hope that the normal lethargic voter turnouts around here would take a jump up come November.

I was on the WSAR radio program "Sense and Nonsense" with a number of fellow members of the KPIP committee last Friday. Ole' Faust and Wayne broadcast live from Kennedy Park. If you're not listening to these guys on weekday afternoons from 3-6 you should be. One of them does a great job. The mayor stopped by and the radio boys ran a proposal by him. If the folks up the Highlands could raise a thousand bucks towards a particular scholarship fund would the mayor be willing to throw the two broadcast legends into the vaunted and much beloved fountain at the Highland Park ? Sort of a fundraising incentive. So badly does the mayor desire to push these two into the fountain, or any other body of water, I think a kiddie pool or a standing puddle would suffice, that he promised to write the check for a grand himself. That's radio.

I know I joke around a lot about the mayor calling and texting me but there's something you guys need to know. I'm not joking. I figure it's one of those keep your friends close and your enemies closer deals.

Things that were said to me this week. I was told but a nice lady that I was merely a shadow of my former self. I think she was talking about my weight but I wasn't about to stick a toe in that pool. I was told that the picture of me that accompanies this blog makes me look like a deer in the headlights. I'd change it if I knew how but I don't. Then there was a particular 7 year old who asked what her Mom and I were talking about. I told her that it was grownup talk and I'd tell her when she was 22. She replied that I'd be dead by then so I'd better tell her now. She will be President of these United States in about thirty years but of course I'll be dead by then. It's always nice to spend more time in the Riv.

Okay that's it. There's nothing left to do but hope these budget projections hold and remember all this going forward. That holding people responsible thing ? Let's try that for a change. It's going to be a great weekend so get out there and enjoy. Not for nothing but I got sent a cavalcade of ridiculous unicorn pictures last night like you wouldn't believe. Cheered me right up. Boom !

The celebration of Festivus begins with the Airing of Grievances.
~ Frank Castanza in Seinfeld
Remember that one? The Seinfeld episode where Frank comes up with an alternative holiday to get away from the commercialization of Christmas ? Feats of strength, the Festivus pole and of course, my personal favorite, the airing of grievances. Here in the Riv we've been airing grievances for a while now over the proposed 2015 budget. Fall River Festivus ended last night. The City Council, on a 7-1 vote, passed the 2015 Fiscal Budget. The grievances have all been aired. The lesser of two evils has prevailed. Now we just have to live with the results. Festivus for the rest of us. It's time for the Friday wrap. Budget addition. Mostly.
I broke down and watched the meeting last night. Nothing else to do quite frankly, which is sad. Vacation got canceled. I was in the Riv so I got the TV station that the meetings are broadcast on. Will had texted 15 minutes before the meeting started and seemed to be in good spirits. He was just checking in. It was Thursday after all. He was heading down to the meeting so I figured what the hell, the least I could do was tune in and see what happens. Here is my take.
There was a lot of buzz prior to the meeting. People were saying that the council was not having a Finance Committee meeting and just going straight to full council and that must mean something. It didn't. At the last meeting the council had made a procedural vote to send the budget out of finance and put it before full council, which amounts to pretty much the same thing. There was no Finance Committee because there was nothing on the agenda for fiance to discuss. The budget was before the full council. The thing that made me happy about all that is that normally there is no citizen's input before a full council meeting. You can imagine my extreme disappointment when the council waived the rules and allowed it. This was not a good start. For me anyway.
It went fairly quickly though. That guy from the fire department, not the president but the other guy,he was good. No fair trotting out the priest though. Other than that there wasn't much except the dude from the lunatic fringe rattling on about a ten taxpayer lawsuit that I guess was supposed to be intimidating. I got some exercise rolling my eyes.
The mayor and the city administrator and that crew took to the center table next. The mayor, after some brief opening remarks, turned it over to Cathy Ann. She started by giving a rundown of the carnage that would ensue should a 1/12 budget kick in. This was meant to scare the living crap out of everyone within a 12 mile radius of the Riv. Next she announced that she had met with both councilors Miozza and Mitchell earlier in the day and had also spoken by phone with other members of that esteemed body. She had a list of concessions and the dollar amount in savings that they would represent. She also notified the council that the city now agreed on what the school department number should be and that they were willing to meet that number. At this point you knew it was done. The budget was a go. I found myself yelling at the TV for somebody to please ask the school department crew (they were seated in the audience) if they agreed. I suppose I could have shot Will a text but he might have been the wrong person for that one. Jasiel eventually did ask if the city had run this by the school department. The superintendent eventually got dragged down there and Ray Mitchell got her to say yes. There were some other interesting moment as well.
Pat Casey gave what seemed like a 10 minute fire and brimstone speech. It was approximately 9 minutes and 45 seconds longer than it needed to be. All she really had to say, if she needed to say anything, was that her position on the budget was the same as it's always been. Pat instead felt the need to chastise her colleagues for a whole host of things. Even called them vindictive. As an example of this she said something about almost having to show up at the Inaugural wearing a hospital johnnie. An image nobody was prepared to process. She also pointed out that in her 18 years on the council she has never had a mayor, any mayor, refuse to take her call or meet with her if she requested to do so. The thing that struck me there was the 18 years part. Mull that over for a minute. Probably says more about the voters of Fall River than anything I could come up with. Hey Pat, the reason that no mayor has ever refused to take your call or meet with you is because in those 18 years you have never, not once, said no to anything any mayor has ever asked you to do. They'd be crazy not to talk to you. Just sayin'. Next time you see Pat ask her to explain, with specificity, the budget she just voted on. Although that's probably not really a fair question since the city administrator, the budget's main author, had a hell of a time explaining it herself.
Cathy Ann Viveiros has now completed her first budget cycle as city administrator. It didn't go well. To be fair she did step into the job at a time when we were facing "the most challenging budget" since the beginning of recorded time. One would assume that she was aware of that when she took the job though. By the time the budget process came to a close last evening you would be hard pressed to find an elected official who had confidence in the things she was saying or the numbers she was presenting. She got net school spending wrong. She was even questioning her own pay as you throw projections towards the end. Not good. This is a person who for decades as a candidate for various public offices has touted her own financial and business acumen. This was an inauspicious start.
I wonder what Shawn Cadime is up to these days. Think he missed not being a part of this show ?
Best moment for my money was when Joe "Ice" Camara asked Will "Ice Ice Baby" Flanagan if the mayor intended to have his name printed on the pay as you throw bags.
The State Gaming Commission made it official yesterday and extended the application deadline for this area, Region C, into late March of next year. I'm sure developers are lining up now. What with the November ballot question looming and all. If nothing else I would hope that the normal lethargic voter turnouts around here would take a jump up come November.
I was on the WSAR radio program "Sense and Nonsense" with a number of fellow members of the KPIP committee last Friday. Ole' Faust and Wayne broadcast live from Kennedy Park. If you're not listening to these guys on weekday afternoons from 3-6 you should be. One of them does a great job. The mayor stopped by and the radio boys ran a proposal by him. If the folks up the Highlands could raise a thousand bucks towards a particular scholarship fund would the mayor be willing to throw the two broadcast legends into the vaunted and much beloved fountain at the Highland Park ? Sort of a fundraising incentive. So badly does the mayor desire to push these two into the fountain, or any other body of water, I think a kiddie pool or a standing puddle would suffice, that he promised to write the check for a grand himself. That's radio.
I know I joke around a lot about the mayor calling and texting me but there's something you guys need to know. I'm not joking. I figure it's one of those keep your friends close and your enemies closer deals.
Things that were said to me this week. I was told but a nice lady that I was merely a shadow of my former self. I think she was talking about my weight but I wasn't about to stick a toe in that pool. I was told that the picture of me that accompanies this blog makes me look like a deer in the headlights. I'd change it if I knew how but I don't. Then there was a particular 7 year old who asked what her Mom and I were talking about. I told her that it was grownup talk and I'd tell her when she was 22. She replied that I'd be dead by then so I'd better tell her now. She will be President of these United States in about thirty years but of course I'll be dead by then. It's always nice to spend more time in the Riv.
Okay that's it. There's nothing left to do but hope these budget projections hold and remember all this going forward. That holding people responsible thing ? Let's try that for a change. It's going to be a great weekend so get out there and enjoy. Not for nothing but I got sent a cavalcade of ridiculous unicorn pictures last night like you wouldn't believe. Cheered me right up. Boom !

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